City of Refuge and the New Jerusalem: How the High Priest's Death Sets Us Free

City of Refuge and the New Jerusalem: How the High Priest's Death Sets Us Free

Under the Old Covenant, God gave Israel a powerful shadow—a network of cities called Cities of Refuge. These six cities were sanctuaries for individuals who had unintentionally killed someone. If they fled there, they were safe from the “avenger of blood.” But there was a catch: they had to stay there until the high priest died. Only then were they free to return home without fear. This system, seemingly strange and ancient, was prophetic. It was a shadow of a greater reality fulfilled in the death of Christ and the inauguration of the New Jerusalem.

Every shadow in the Old Covenant found its full substance in Christ and was fulfilled in the events culminating in 70 AD—the judgment on Jerusalem and the consummation of the New Covenant. The New Jerusalem is not a future city floating down from the sky, but the present reality of the redeemed people of God—a spiritual city made up of believers indwelt by God’s full presence. So what does the City of Refuge have to do with us today? Everything.

1. The Fugitive in the Old Covenant: Bound by Death

In the Law, the manslayer was trapped. Though he wasn’t guilty of murder in the strictest sense, he was still liable to judgment. His only hope was to flee to the city of refuge. There, he was safe—but not free. He was confined, waiting for something out of his control: the death of the high priest.

This is a picture of life under the Old Covenant. Even those who weren’t “willful sinners”—those who feared God, who tried to live by the Law—were still under its shadow. Death reigned. Conscience remained heavy. The avenger of blood—the Law itself—still loomed.

As Paul says in Romans 7, the Law was holy, but it brought death. And under it, even the best were not free. They were fugitives in a covenant that could not perfect their conscience.

2. The High Priest Dies: Release from the Law

But then, the High Priest died.

In the shadow, this meant the manslayer was finally free to go home. No more waiting. No more fear. No more hiding.

In the substance, Christ, our High Priest, gave Himself in sacrificial death. His once-for-all offering didn’t just make atonement—it liberated. The moment He died, the veil tore, the graves opened, and the old system began to crumble. The clock was ticking on the old world.

Then, in 70 AD, the full collapse of the Old Covenant world came. The earthly Jerusalem—the city of bondage—was judged, and the heavenly Jerusalem—the city of freedom—was fully revealed. The fugitive could go home.

3. The New Jerusalem: Our Refuge and Liberty

We don’t return to the old system or try to find righteousness by Law. We see ourselves as part of the New Creation, where all things are fulfilled in Christ. There is no more condemnation, no more fear, no more "avenger of blood" on our trail.

The New Jerusalem is now. It is not a future place; it is us, the community of the redeemed in Christ, where righteousness dwells, where God is present, and where liberty reigns. We live now not as fugitives, but as free citizens of a city where:

The High Priest has already died.

The Law’s claim is broken.

The conscience is cleansed.

And peace with God is fully realized.

As Paul wrote in Galatians 4:26, 

"But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother." 

He contrasted this with the earthly Jerusalem, which was still in bondage—soon to pass away. That bondage system, like the city of refuge under the Old Law, was temporary. But now, we are home.

4. No More Hiding: Living in the Full Presence of God

The idea of hiding in a city until the priest dies points to a people waiting for freedom. But the resurrection of Christ and the judgment of the Old World have changed everything. The wait is over. We don’t live in refuge anymore—we live in resurrection.

In the New Jerusalem, we are no longer fugitives but sons and daughters, seated with Christ, ruling and reigning in life. His death brought us out of hiding. His life brings us into fullness.

Conclusion: No More Avenger

 We aren’t stuck in spiritual limbo. The Priest has died. The Law has passed. The City is here. And you are free.

"The former things have passed away. Behold, I make all things new." (Revelation 21:4–5)